Tidal alarm-buoy



J. TAGGART.

Tide-Alarm Bu'y. No. 15,200. Patented June 24, 1855.

FFICE.

JOHN TAGGART, OF ROXBURY, MASSACHUSETTS.

TIDAL ALARM-BUOY.

Speccation of Letters Patent No. 15,200, dated June 24, 1856.

To all h-0m t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN TAGGART, of Roxbury, in the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Tidal. Alarm-Buoy; and I do hereby declare that the same is fully described and represented in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, of which- Figure l, denotes a side elevation of it; Fig. 2, a top View of it; Fig. 3, a front elevation of it; Fig. 4, a longitudinal section of e its stream wheel and air tank. Fig. 5, shows the manner in which the apparatus is ap plied and used.

In such drawings A, represents an elongated guard or frame made of four or any other suitable number of metallic rods, a, a, a, a, curved as seen in the drawings and united at their ends to buttons or heads Z1, a pendulum or weighted rod, B, being extended downward from the lower but-ton 2'), and serves to maintain the buoy in an upright or nearly an upright position. Within the frame A, and extending across it as seen in the drawings, is a stream or current wheel, C, and in said wheel or constituting a part of it is an air tank, or air-tight chamber or vessel, D, of sufficient capacity to cause the whole apparatus, when immersed in water to be floated so as to enable the stream wheel to be operated orrotated to good advantage by the current induced either by the flowing or falling of the tide. The position of the apparatus in the water is shown in Fig. 5, wherein it is represented as iioating on the surface of the water E, and as anchored in place by means of a rope or chain, F, attached to an anchor, Gr, resting on the bottoni of the sea or the earth under said Water. When so anchored, the buoy will swing with the tide, so that when the tide is either ebbing or flowing, the stream wheel will be put and kept in rotation by the current. This stream wheel may be constructed of a series of floats or shutters, (Z, d, d, respectively hinged to a cylindrical air tank and between its heads e, c, and so that each of them may be turned down into a radial position with respect to the tank and rest upon one or more suitable shoulders or stops as seen at f, f, (or the equivalent therefor) as extending from said heads. The journals 0f the shaft of the stream wheel may be supported in boxes as seen at g, g, and on said shaft there is affixed a cam or wiper to act against and raise a slider or rod, 2', which is supported so as to be capable of moving laterally. At its top the said slider is jointed to an arm lo, extended from a rocker shaft, Z, from which a striking hammer projects upward as seen in Fig. 2, and with a bell, G, which is hung within the upper part of the frame, A. A spring, H, extends from one bar of the frame, A, and bears upon the arm 7c. A bail I, turns vertically upon the shaft of the stream wheel and is arranged with respect to the same as shown in the drawings.

l/Vhen the apparatus so constructed is placed in the water and anchored as shown in Fig. 5, and is exposed to the action of the tide, or a stream or current induced thereby, or is placed in a river it will oat on the water, but its current wheel will be set in revolution so as to operate the striking apparatus of the bell and cause said bell tov be struck at intervals, or to sound an alarm so as to give warning during a fog, or under other circumstances.

l/Vhat I claim as my invention, is-

l. The combination and arrangement of the air tank, D, the stream or current wheel, C, the bell. G, and mechanism substantially as described for causing said bell to be sounded, during the rotary movements of the wheel produced by the action of a current in the water as above set forth.

2. I also claim arranging or combining with the stream wheel, the bell, the striking apparatus, and air tank in manner as set forth, the inclosing or guard frame A, and the pendulum or weighted lever B, applied thereto, the same operating together substantially in manner asabove described.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my signature this 30th day of April A. D. 1856.

JOHN TAGGART.

Witnesses:

R. H. EDDY, F. P. HALE, Jr. 

